Respiratory Therapists Keith Martens and Kassi Hess with Nola Horbacz
Nola, age 13, is grateful for respiratory therapy treatment that keeps her safe and close to home in McGregor, according to her mother, Kari Horbacz.
Each month for the past year and a half, Nola has been getting a Pentamidine treatment from a respiratory therapist at Riverwood Healthcare Center. This medication is administered via a 15-minute treatment with an inhalation machine.
“My daughter has a rare genetic disorder called Stat3 GOF that adversely affects her immune system, and the Pentamidine treatment is a preventive step to keep her from getting pneumonia or lung infections,” Kari explained. “Less than 200 people in the world have this condition, for which she is treated at Children’s Minnesota in the Twin Cities, in addition to getting primary care from Dr. Tim Arnold at Riverwood’s McGregor clinic.”
“I appreciate how in the midst of the Covid pandemic, the respiratory therapy staff at Riverwood took extra steps to protect my daughter’s health and safety when she came in for treatments. We had great care experiences before Covid, and I know their job got a lot more stressful with more patients needing respiratory care.”
Kari added: “The respiratory therapy staff, including Kassi Hess and Keith Martens, has been so easy to talk with and very understanding. You can tell they care about their patients and want them to have good experiences.”